Marach

The coming of the people of Marach

Marach was the chieftain of the last and most numerous of the three peoples of Men who came west into Beleriand. His folk followed close behind the Haladin, crossing the Ered Luin in F.A. 313, three years after Bëor. They were a tall and warlike people who travelled in ordered companies, and their numbers so alarmed the Green-elves of Ossiriand that they sent to Finrod Felagund for help. Bëor's people were already in Estolad, and at Finrod's advice Marach led his folk there too, settling to the south and east of the Bëorians. The two peoples were friendly and their tongues, though distinct, were akin.

Estolad

Marach ruled his people in Estolad for the rest of his life and did not himself enter the service of any Elven-lord. His son Malach went north into Hithlum to serve Fingolfin, stayed fourteen years, learned Sindarin and took the name Aradan, and it was Malach's line that rose to greatness. Marach himself is remembered chiefly as the founder, the man who brought the people over the mountains.

When dissent broke out among the Edain over whether Men should stay in the Elvish war, it was Marach's people who were most divided; Amlach, one of Marach's grandsons, was the spokesman of the doubters, until he discovered that a servant of Morgoth had spoken in his likeness and went to serve Maedhros in anger. Some of Marach's folk went back over the mountains or south into Eriador; the greater part stayed and later gathered in Dor-lómin around Malach's descendant Hador.

Legacy

Marach's line ran through Malach Aradan, Magor and Hathol to Hador Lórindol, and the House of Hador was originally called the people of Marach. Through Hador it produced Húrin, Túrin and Tuor, and its speech became the foundation of the Adûnaic tongue of Númenor.

Died in Estolad; the date is not recorded.